Our 6 loan players

[bill taylors apprentice]

I hope the players on loan are realistic on wages as I'm sure some will have inflated salaries?
If we stay up, what they value themselves at could be the sticking point!

[WindyCity]

Areola - PSG - Option? Yes
Aina - Torino - Option? Yes
Andersen - Lyon - Option? No
Lemina - Southampton - Option? Yes
Loftus-Cheek - Chelsea - Option? No
Lookman - RB Leipzig - Option? No
Maja - Bordeaux - Option? Yes

All assumes FFC survives this campaign:

Areola - - Yes, try to sign give best effort, elite/class GK
Aina - - Yes, try to sign
Andersen - - Yes, try to sign at all costs, may be a lot of cabbage
Lemina - - Yes, try to sign
RLC - - No, pass, let him go, not interested
Lookman - - Only sign if financially makes sense, I actually think we can do better with his position
Maja - - Only sign if financially makes sense, I actually think we can do better with his position

I would only keep one of Maja/Lookman, if either.  I think FFC should seek out one or two more quality strikers/goal scorers for a new PL campaign.  Those two have been serviceable so far, but far from top quality imo.

[Lordedmundo]

I would sign them all except RLC if possible (poor value at £30m).

If we can afford to sign all of the others, then it would be great business - even if we end up paying £30m for Andersen alone.

I think the only big weakness in the squad would then be a centre forward, as I don't see Maja as first choice and Mitrovic needs a severe upturn in form/fitness to challenge for a place.

That said - we also need to find more goals from elsewhere on the pitch. Whether Cairney can come in and contribute to goal scoring as well as creating is debatable.  Assuming we stay up and do sign all the loaness, perhaps a good pre-season focused on our play in the last third will improve that aspect as well...

[Stevieboy]

So if Lyon were prepared to sell Andersen for @30m orloan for 8m then I can't see why they wouldn't sell now.
However look at what the Scousers paid for VVD. And the Spuds could do with him.
For us, when we stay up, he could be the difference in us being a good team or a great team.
I hope people are working on him as we speak !!

[3 Cherries]

Agree with most and unless RLC takes more risks and scores then he can move on

As for Mitro we will not get £30M for him - but any idea how much we could get for him...

[PaulJ123]

Love that everyone's now sure we're staying up reading these posts.

[FulhamStu]

Andersen is the most tricky one, if we offered him a huge contract, made him club captain, and gave him a decent sell on promise, tell him if he gives us 2 years of a 5 year deal we would let him go for £xyz.  We could point to Van Dijk at Southampton and his move to Liverpool.

[sunburywhite]

They are The Loan Rangers

[Sammyffc]

Speechless at how many people would pass on lookman. He is our best attacking player. 4 goals and 3 assists. BDR has 5 goals 0 assists.

[Sammyffc]

Areola - PSG - Option? Yes
Aina - Torino - Option? Yes
Andersen - Lyon - Option? No
Lemina - Southampton - Option? Yes
Loftus-Cheek - Chelsea - Option? No
Lookman - RB Leipzig - Option? No
Maja - Bordeaux - Option? Yes

All assumes FFC survives this campaign:

Areola - - Yes, try to sign give best effort, elite/class GK
Aina - - Yes, try to sign
Andersen - - Yes, try to sign at all costs, may be a lot of cabbage
Lemina - - Yes, try to sign
RLC - - No, pass, let him go, not interested
Lookman - - Only sign if financially makes sense, I actually think we can do better with his position
Maja - - Only sign if financially makes sense, I actually think we can do better with his position

I would only keep one of Maja/Lookman, if either.  I think FFC should seek out one or two more quality strikers/goal scorers for a new PL campaign.  Those two have been serviceable so far, but far from top quality imo.

Very very very harsh on lookman. He is probably the reason we will stay up. The best stats for any of our attacking players and actually creates chances. We may as well just sell our whole attack if he isn't good enough.

[WindyCity]

Very very very harsh on lookman. He is probably the reason we will stay up. The best stats for any of our attacking players and actually creates chances. We may as well just sell our whole attack if he isn't good enough.

Appreciate your response.  I know it may sound harsh, but I'm sorry, I think we deserve to have a much better front line attack if we are to remain PL quality.  I'm not saying Lookman is poor, I just don't think he is high level/high quality.  If he remained in the team, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but I just think we could do better.  There was even a thread in the forum recently questioning if Lookman was 'greedy'.  My response was there is nothing wrong with a striker being greedy/selfish, BUT that he should also be able to make plays and create chances, which I don't think he does enough.  Top strikers in this league also have good numbers of assists.  Lookman fails often to make a pass to a wide open teammate, and very noticeable on overlap plays he ignores.  Maybe he doesn't 'see' those opportunities, because he has tunnel vision only in getting off a shot.  IMO, not quite a 'complete' player.  Again, not a bad or poor player, but I just think we could do better.  JMHO.

[Sammyffc]

Very very very harsh on lookman. He is probably the reason we will stay up. The best stats for any of our attacking players and actually creates chances. We may as well just sell our whole attack if he isn't good enough.

Appreciate your response.  I know it may sound harsh, but I'm sorry, I think we deserve to have a much better front line attack if we are to remain PL quality.  I'm not saying Lookman is poor, I just don't think he is high level/high quality.  If he remained in the team, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but I just think we could do better.  There was even a thread in the forum recently questioning if Lookman was 'greedy'.  My response was there is nothing wrong with a striker being greedy/selfish, BUT that he should also be able to make plays and create chances, which I don't think he does enough.  Top strikers in this league also have good numbers of assists.  Lookman fails often to make a pass to a wide open teammate, and very noticeable on overlap plays he ignores.  Maybe he doesn't 'see' those opportunities, because he has tunnel vision only in getting off a shot.  IMO, not quite a 'complete' player.  Again, not a bad or poor player, but I just think we could do better.  JMHO.

Fair points !!! I am curious to who you believe would be better than him though that we could get ? anyone in mind. In my opinion he is the best attacking winger we have had for many many many many years.

[simplyfulham]

Very very very harsh on lookman. He is probably the reason we will stay up. The best stats for any of our attacking players and actually creates chances. We may as well just sell our whole attack if he isn't good enough.

Appreciate your response.  I know it may sound harsh, but I'm sorry, I think we deserve to have a much better front line attack if we are to remain PL quality.  I'm not saying Lookman is poor, I just don't think he is high level/high quality.  If he remained in the team, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but I just think we could do better.  There was even a thread in the forum recently questioning if Lookman was 'greedy'.  My response was there is nothing wrong with a striker being greedy/selfish, BUT that he should also be able to make plays and create chances, which I don't think he does enough.  Top strikers in this league also have good numbers of assists.  Lookman fails often to make a pass to a wide open teammate, and very noticeable on overlap plays he ignores.  Maybe he doesn't 'see' those opportunities, because he has tunnel vision only in getting off a shot.  IMO, not quite a 'complete' player.  Again, not a bad or poor player, but I just think we could do better.  JMHO.

It's worth bearing a couple of things in mind.

1) There's a stat recorded on FBref.com that measures the amount of passes each player makes that lead to a shot within the next two actions.

For example, if Lookman passes to Maja and he shoots, then that counts as a Shot-creating action. If Lookman passes to Aina who then crosses for Maja who has a shot, that would also count as a Shot-creating action for Lookman (as well as Aina).

Lookman is ranked 1st in the squad for passes in live-play that lead to a shot attempt. While I agree he can be greedy at times, he's also doing more than his fair share going forward to create shots for others.

2) He's only 23 and competing at a very good level (younger than Aina, Onomah and Robinson and arguable better then all 3 of those). He will improve.

[FulhamStu]

Lookman is a real talent and we should really try to keep him.  Players of his quality are hard to find, he has also integrated very well and is a local lad which I am sure helps.  A lot of what he does on the pitch is probably natural but a lot also coached.  I imagine for example, Robinson is told to bomb past him and occupy the full back allowing Lookman to cut inside for the shot.  This can make him look greedy but I expect it's a planned move.

[Wolf]

Do we not have an option on Lookman? I thought it had emerged we do and it was a fair price. He's our most potent attacking threat.

[Twig]

As a still slightly raw 23yr old I rate him fairly highly. He presses forward with pace and that unsettles opposition defences. His passing clearly needs to improve but I think our coaching team can work on that.

[Statto]

Speechless at how many people would pass on lookman. He is our best attacking player. 4 goals and 3 assists. BDR has 5 goals 0 assists.

That's hardly the most compelling stat. He's a £20m+ player that we'd only sign if we stayed up and were aspiring towards to PL mid-table stability... and he has less goals than a player we bought for £10m whilst we were in the Championship.

Nonetheless IF WE STAY UP then FWIW I think Lookman is a good player, and combined with his youth and potential, as good a forward as we're likely to be able to attract and hold on to. Probably better to keep him if we can rather than take a gamble on some £30m player from the French or Dutch leagues who could completely flop.

[LC]

Areola - PSG - £6-8m
Aina - Torino - £10m
Andersen - Lyon - £25-35m
Lemina - Southampton - £6m
Loftus-Cheek - Chelsea - £20-30m
Lookman - RB Leipzig - £20m
Maja - Bordeaux - £10m

The above is what I estimate keeping what we have would cost- on top estimates it would cost: £119m.

I think Mitrovic would leave for £25m and some other fridge players and people out on loan- call it other £5-7m- let's call it £30m in.

Which will mean out next spend will be: £89m. If you keep in mind we didn't 'really' spend this year then we should certainly be able to afford it if we stay up. I remember Aston Villa spent big when they came up and then spent big the following summer as well.

We need to retain what we have, and buy several more players in the forward positions. I'd imagine it will be loans and maybe a big ticket striker

[Tabby]

Do we not have an option on Lookman? I thought it had emerged we do and it was a fair price. He's our most potent attacking threat.

RBL tend to be willing to let their flops go for reasonable prices (the same that they paid usually). The quoted asking price was £15 million this winter, and I don't see why it would have gone up a lot since then.

For £15 million he is a bargain imo.

[FulhamStu]

I would not want RLC, there is something not quite right about him, I think it's because he would prefer to be at Chelsea and it's more obvious with him than anyone that he is not here for the long term.